Device for covering transverse passages in ships



Nov. 14, 1961 DEVICE FOR COVERING Filed 00%. 17, 1957 K. BLICKLE TRANSVERSE PASSAGES IN SHIPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BY 2 2 g K. BLICKLE 3,008,443

DEVICE FOR COVERING TRANSVERSE PASSAGES IN SHIPS Nov. 14, 1961 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 17, 1957 K. BLICKLE 3,008,443

DEVICE FOR COVERING TRANSVERSE PASSAGES IN SHIPS Nov. 14, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 17, 1957 Unite States atent 3,008,443 DEVICE FOR COVERING TRANSVERSE PASSAGES IN SHIPS Karl Blickle, Bolheim, Germany, assignor to J. M. V'oith G.m.b.H. Maschinenfabnik, Heidenheim (Brenz), Germany Filed Oct. 17, 1957, Ser. No. 699,725 Claims priority, application Germany Oct. 22, 1956 9 Claims. (Cl. 114-148) It is known to equip ships with special or additional propellers which are not always in operation and which serve to produce rudder forces. Thus, it has been suggested for the above mentioned purpose to employ a blade wheel propeller and, more specifically, a high speed cycloidal propeller. Such a propeller, as is well known, has the specific property that its entire propeller jet can be directed into any desired direction by a simple displacement of the control center of the blade drive for producing the oscillations of the blades. In other words, the direction of the propeller jet can be varied by displacing the oscillation of the blades.

It has also been suggested to provide a special propeller in a passage extending transversely through the hull of the ship and to provide said passage with closing gates which maintain the passage closed as long as the effect of the propeller in said passage is undesirable. In this connection there exists the possibility that the passage extends through the hull of the ship in the direction of the main axis of the ship or parallel thereto and that two passages extending substantially perpendicular to each other merge at one point.

The present invention relates to a device for use in connection with ships having a passage extending through the body of the ship and equipped with a propulsion element arranged in said transverse passage. It is an object of this invention to provide a device for covering transverse passages in ships with a propulsion element in said passages, which will effectively protect said propulsion element against foreign floating bodies, even if the means for closing the transverse passage occupy their fully opened position.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device of the type set forth above, which in open position will produce an additional rudder effect to thereby increase the maneuverability of the ship.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a device of the above mentioned type, which, when occupying its closed position, will reduce the resistance encountered by the ship during its movement.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 represents an embodiment of a device according to the invention in connection with a passage extending transversely through the bow of a ship, the flaps of said device occupying their rudder position.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a position of the device according to FIGURE 1 with the flaps in direction of movement of the ship.

FIGURES 3 and 4 respectively illustrate two further embodiments of the flap design.

FIG. 5 illustrates further embodiment of flaps or rudder elements according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section through the bow of a ship similar to FIG. 1 but with the flaps or rudder elements shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a vertical section through FIG. 6 taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 6-.

FIG. 8 is a horizontal section through the bow of a ship similar to that of FIG. 1 but with a screw propeller ice in the transverse passage through the bow and with different type flaps or rudder elements.

FIGS. 9 and 10 respectively illustrate a flap or rudder unit employed in the embodiment of FIG. 8 in closed and in open position.

General armngement The device according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that the closing members at the ends of the transverse passage are designel as pivotable or hinged flaps or rudder elements in such a way that in one of their end positions they close off said passage whereas in their other end position as well as in intermediate positions they act similarly to the guiding apparatus of fluid flow machinery or as rudders. The tiltable flaps or rudder elements are so arranged that, when occupying their closed position, they are substantially flush with the adjacent outer wall of the ship so assubstantia-lly not to increase the resistance of the ship. On the other hand, when in opened position, the said flaps, will even at high speed of the ship, convey a sufficient quantity of water to the propeller and even at standstill of the propeller produce a rudder effect.

According to a specific embodiment of the invention, the hinged flaps of each transverse passage may be subdivided into a plurality of flaps having their axes of rotation arranged in rows and parallel to each other. This arrangement of a plurality of small tiltable flaps instead of one large flap has the advantage that, even with the flaps fully opened, only small foreign bodies can enter the transverse passage. In addition thereto, the devices necessary for opening the flaps such as a servo motor or a rudder machine, can be dimensioned very small inasmuch as the flaps may be opened one after another if this should be desired.

In conformity with a further embodiment of the invention the axes about which the flaps are pivotable or hinged may be arranged vertically or nearly vertically in parallel arrangement with regard to each other, depending on the position of the passage and the rudder efiect desired when the flaps are in opened position.

If a plurality of flaps is provided for closing a transverse passage, the dimensions in longitudinal direction, i.e., the dimensions perpendicular to the pivot axis, may be uniform or diiferent from each other. Depending on the propulsion member arranged in said transverse passage, the flaps are designed with a corresponding contour. When employing a blade wheel propeller which produces a propeller jet of rectangular cross section, also the transverse passage and therefore the flaps are designed so as to have a rectangular shape.

When employing a screw propeller the propeller jet of which has a circular cross section, also the transverse passage will be cylindrical, and accordingly the individual flaps will be shaped in such a Way that they supplement each other to a complete or nearly complete circle.

According to a still further embodiment of the invention, the openings in the hull of the ship are bridged by preferably fiat iron webs or bars, arranged alongside each other and extending in the longitudinal direction of the ship. The purpose of these bars consists in preventing any foreign bodies such as ice blocks, floating wood and the like, from entering said transverse passage, thereby protecting the propulsion element against damage. The individual flaps may also be subdivided in the direction of their pivot axes and may each be arranged between the bars so that-upon one and the same pivot axis a plurality of flaps is arranged, said flaps being disposed above each other or alongside each other while being spaced in conformity with the thickness of the bars. However, it is also possible to arrange the pivot axes of the flaps directly adjacent to the webs and to provide in said flaps recesses for the bars so that the pivoting of the flaps will not be interfered with by the protective bars.

Structural arrangement "Referring now to the drawings in detail and FIGURE 1 thereof in particular, the structure shown therein illustrates a portion of a ships bow 1 provided with a transverse passage 2, naturally below the water, which has arranged therein a blade wheel propeller 3. The openings of the transverse passage 2 may, as shown in FIG- URE 2, be closed by a plurality of flaps or rudder elements 4. In this connection, it is expedient that when the flaps '4 occupy their closed position, there will still remain a gap between said flaps so that sea weed collecting on said flaps will not cause a jamming or locking thereof. The flaps or rudder elements 4 are respectively connected to pivots or shafts which are rotatably journalled in the wall of the ship and which are movable in any convenient manner, for instance by means of a servo motor not shown in the drawings. In order to protect the blade wheel propeller 3 against foreign bodies such as pieces of ice, floating wood, etc., protective bars or Webs 6 are respectively arranged in the openings of the transverse passage. Inasmuch as the flaps 4 when in opened position produce an additional rudder effect, they will not always on both sides occupy the same position as will be evident from FIGURE 1. but will occupy different positions in conformity with the desired rudder effect. The axes of shafts 5 are with this embodiment so arranged behind the bars 6 that the flaps 4 when fully opened will just be flush with the outside wall of the ship.

FIGURE 3 illustrates one possibility of designing the flaps 4. If the shafts 5 of flaps 4 are arranged behind the webs 6, as seen from the outside of the ship, both sides of the flaps or rudder elements 4 will be provided with recesses 7 to receive the webs 6 when the flaps are in opened position. It is necessary to provide the recesses 7 on both sides of the flaps because the flaps may be turned in one direction or the other in conformity with the direction of movement of the ship.

FIGURE 4 illustrates another embodiment of the flaps according to the invention. In conformity with the embodiment, the flaps are not arranged behind the webs or bars 6 but in the same plane as the latter. Furthermore, in this instance, the flaps are again subdivided into a plurality of individual flap elements 8 to 11 which are respectively arranged on and connected to shafts 12. The distance between the individual flap elements 8 to 11 is somewhat greater than the thickness of the webs or bars 6. In order firmly to hold the webs 6 together, they are interconnected by a strut 18 in the center portion thereof.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 5 to 7, a blade wheel propeller 3 is arranged in a transverse passage 2 extending transverse through the ship below the water line. This embodiment differs from the embodiment of FIG. 1 with regard to the arrangement and the dimensioning of the flaps. The shafts 14 and 15 of the flaps 16 and 17 are arranged in the plane coinciding with the outer wall of the ship so that approximately half of each flap when fully opened protrudes from the ship wall and acts as an approach fiow surface. In order to be able with all flaps to exploit the water pressure and rudder effect thereon, and in order to obtain approximately the same power effect of the water upon the individual flaps 16 and 17, the flap 16 is designed larger by the portion covered by the flap 17, in conformity with the respective prevailing conditions. This is done because only the projection of that fiaps surface which is visible in the direction of the flow will be useful for the power effect. In FIG- URE 7, one flap is shown in open position while another flap occupies its closing position.

FIGURE 8 illustrates an arrangement of a screw propeller 18 in a transverse passage 29 adapted to be closed by flaps or rudder elements 19 and 20. FIG- URES 9 and 10 illustrate a view of said flaps in opened and closed position respectively. In contrast to the blade wheel propeller 3 of FIGS. 1 and 3, the screw propeller 18 produces a propeller jet of circular cross section. For this reason, also the transverse passage is designed approximately cylindrical. In order to take into consideration the shape of the transverse passage, the contour of the flaps 19 and 20 is so designed as to supplement each other to approximately a circle. Expediently, two oppositely located portions of the flaps are straightened out for the arrangement of the pivots. If the ship moves in the direction of arrow 22 (FIG. 8), it will be appreciated that, if both of these flaps are pivoted or turned in the same direction of rotation, first the circular portion of flap 20 is approached by the water and thereafter the protruding rectangular portion of flap 19 which is located behind said circular portion of flap 20. In this way, flap 19 has about the same guiding and rudder effect as flap 20.

The device according to the invention thus serves as protection for the propulsion element arranged in a transverse passage of the type involved. Furthermore, when the device is in its closed position, it reduces the resistance of movement. Finally, when the device is in its opened position, it acts as additional rudder and thereby increases the safety, speed and maneuverability of the ship.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular constructions shown in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination in a ship having a passage independent of the propulsion means of the ship extending laterally therethrough below the water line of the ship from starboard to port side thereof outside the central portion of the ship: a propeller rotatably mounted in said passage causes water to flow through said passage for steering said ship; a plurality of substantially upright shafts substantially parallel to each other and supported by said ship near the ends of said passage; a plurality of rudder means pivotally supported by said shafts with portions of each rudder means located on opposite sides of the respective shaft pertaining thereto; said rudder means being movable selectively from a fully open position in which they offer the least resistance to the flow of water through said passage into a closed position in which they offer the maximum resistance to the flow of water through said passage; said portions of said rudder means, when said rudder means occupy their closed position, extending over a total width approximately equalling the distance between the upright shafts pertaining thereto thereby substantially to close said passage; said rudder means being movable in both directions from said fully open position into said closed position; the distance of the outer ends of said rudder means from their respective axes of rotation being such that during the major movement of said rudder means about thier respective axes of rotation the outer end of said rudder means extends beyond the adjacent opening of the passage so as to react with water moving along the side of the ship for producing a rudder effect, and protective bars arranged on the outside of and supported by said ship while extending in longitudinal direction of said ship across the openings of said passages, said rudder means being provided with cutouts arranged in the same plane as said protective bars and slightly wider than the latter.

2. In combination in a ship having a passage independent of the propulsion means of the ship extending laterally therethrough below the water line of the ship from starboard to port side thereof outside the central portion of the ship: a propeller rotatably mounted in said passage for steering said ship; a plurality of substantially upright shafts substantially parallel to each other and supported by said ship near the ends of said passage; a plurality of rudder means pivotally supported by said shafts with portions of each rudder means located on opposite sides of the respective shaft pertaining thereto; said rudder means being movable selectively from a fully open position in which they oifer the least resistance to the flow of water through said passage into a closed position in which they ofi'er the maximum resistance to the flow of water through said passage; said portions of said rudder means, when said rudder means occupy their closed position, extending over a total width approximately equalling the distance between the upright shafts pertaining thereto thereby substantially to close said passage; said rudder means being movable in both directions from said fully open position into said closed position; the distance of the outer ends of said rudder means from their respective axes of rotation being such that during the major movement of said rudder means about their respective axes of rotation the outer end of said rudder means extends beyond the adjacent opening of the passage so as to react with water moving along the side of the ship for producing a rudder effect; and protective bars arranged on the outside of and supported by said ship while extending in longitudinal direction of said ship across the openings of said passages, each of said rudder means being composed of interconnected rudder elements spaced from each other by a distance slightly in excess of the thickness of said protective bars and being located so as to be movable between the respective adjacent protective bars.

3. A ship according to claim 2, in which the rudder elements of each rudder means are mounted on a shaft common thereto arranged adjacent said protective bars.

4. In a steering arrangement for a ship; passage means extending transversely through the ship below the water line and spaced longitudinally from the middle of the ship, propeller means in said passage means for propelling water therethrough for steering the ship in accordance with the direction of the fiow of Water in the passage means, a plurality of rudder means pivotally supported by the ship near the ends of said passage means on substantially upright and substantially parallel axes, each rudder means having a portion disposed on each side of said axis pertaining thereto, said rudder means at each end of said passage means being movable selectively in either direction from a fully open position in which they oiier the least resistance to water flow through the passage means into a closed position in which they offer maximum resistance to water flow through the passage means, the rudder means pertaining to each end of the passage means substantially closing the adjacent end of the passage means when in their closed position, said rudder means being supported by said ship relative to the outer contour of said ship so as to extend outwardly beyond the said outer contour of said ship during a major portion of their pivoting movement away from their closed position, thereby to produce a steering effect on said ship in response to a relative movement between the ship and the water surrounding the ship.

5. A steering arrangement according to claim 4, in which said passage means extends substantially perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the ship.

6. A steering arrangement according to claim 4, in which said propeller means is a cycloidal propeller having its axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the said passage means.

7. A steering arrangement according to claim 4, in which the rudder means on one and the same side of the ship diiier from each other as to effective width while corresponding rudder means on opposite sides of the ship have substantially the same effective width.

8. A steering arrangement according to claim 4, in which the axes for the rudder means on each side of the ship are arranged progressively further outwardly from the longitudinal center line of the ship in the rearward direction of the ship whereby the effective area of each rudder means with respect to the movement of water in the axial direction of the ship is substantially the same thus providing for substantially equal amounts of water being diverted into the passage means by each rudder means at the inlet end of said passage means.

9. A steering arrangement according to claim 4, in which said passage means is substantially rectangular in cross section and said propeller is a cycloidal propeller having its blades extending into said passage means and in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said ship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,870,674 Exhrhart Aug. 9, 1932 2,114,112 Norquist Apr. 12, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,514 Great Britain Oct. 8, 1908 458,960 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1936 72,826 Norway Sept. 19, 1949 852,960 Germany Oct. 20, 1952 883,098 Germany July 13, 1953 739,315 Great Britain Nov. 10, 1953 490,569 Italy Feb. 13, 1954 

